Valve alarm attachment.



R. F. SPAMER.

VALVE ALARM ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION rum 0v'r.12.1905.

912,432. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

. 15" RFJPAMB? local circuit extends .provements of my invention.

- were advanced UNITED sTA'rns PATENT GFFICE.

RICHARD F. SPAMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNGR T0 CONSGLIDATED FIRE ALARM COMPA NY, OF N EW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VALVE ALARM ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. SPAMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Alarm Attachments, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in alarm system apparatus and particularly to an attachment Ior valves in water service or sprinkler systems.

"lhe object of the invention is to start an alarm whenever the normal condition of any shutoff valve in the building is in any way disturbed.

The invention consists in improvements, the principles of which are illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings. Briefly, a through theterritory or building which it is desired to protect, which circuit includes a device or apparatus of my invention attached to or connected with each shut-off valve or its operating device so that the circuit conditions are changed and an alarmstarted whenever the valve is tam pered with.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a circuit illustrating the installation of the im- Fig. 2 is s sicle view and partial section illustrating the mechanism of my invention when the valve stem and contacts are in their normal position. Fig. 3 1s a fragmentary view in partial section illustrating the contacts in the position which they would occupy when the valve is open. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the contacts in the position which they would occupy if the operating handle beyond its normal position. is a crossscction of the mechanism showin the contacts and casing therefor.

1 and 2 represent the grounds of a normally energized local circuit containing the battery'B, resistance R, and magnet O of a signal transmitter.

A is the armature of the magnet, whose movement controls the signal wheel.

An alarm starting attachment of my invention is provided for ouch valve in the sprinkler or fire service pipe.

3 and 4 are two spring arm contacts normally forming parts of the closed local circuit.

5 is the. tip of an operator plug 6.

Fig. 5

7 and 8 aretwo branches of a terminal connected to ground.

9 is an insulating button or pro'ection' carried by the contucthrm 4 normally engaged by the tip 5.

10 is an insulating block on which the spring contact 3 is mounted.

'11 is an insulating block on which the terminals 7 and .8 are mounted.

12 indicates the body of a gate valve.

13 is a stem for moving the valve shut or open.

14 is a. yoke rigidlycarried by the body of the valve.

15 is a casing detachably secured to' the yoke 14 of the bodyuind extending alongside of the stem o f the valve. The rear-end of the casing has an opening for the wires leadinglo'the contacts .3, '4 and 7-8.

16 is the outer end orhead of the casing 15, whichis "preferably removnbly secure thereinand supports the terminal members.

plug 6.

17 is a collar having a screw-threaded portion cngagingthe stem 13 01 the valve and carrying plug ti. The insulating block 11 is secured to thehead-lfi and oarries the post IB-from which contacts 3 and 4 project. The contacts 7 and 8 are electricallycom ncctcd with the headilfi by a screw 19. This stem 13in thezembodimcnt shown is of the type-which effects the closingand opcning of the valve by at rotary movement. he pitch of the cooper-Ming threads on the stern and in the collar 17 is such as to cause the collar to travel relativelyto thevnlve casing or body, whether t'hc sle-m, when it is rotnted. has a longitudinal movement or not.

The full lines in Fig; 2 show the parts in their normal position. Since some valves are normally open and some normally closed this may indicate thcnormal condition oi any valve, the local circuit being closed through the contacts 3 and l. If the valve is closed hyrotatiug the stem 13 in one dircct ion so as to draw the collar 17 to the right, as seen in Fig. 2, the enlarged diameter of the plug 6 forces the contact; 4 into the position shown in Fig. 2, o ens the local circuit'bctween contacts an 4, and then grounds it through contuct 7. "The current flowingthrough the transmitter magnet 18 thus cut ofi ia-ndlthe transmitter is started. Any attemptto electrically efl'ect the at- It also has an openingfor the passage ofthe taclnncnt without moving the gate valve will griund the casing and start an alarm. Rotation of the valve stem in the opposite direction will retract the plug 6 and permit the contact 4 to engage contact 8 and ground the attachment and start an alarm. An attempt to remove the head 16 of the casin without touching the valve stem will ground the circuit through contact. 7. The grounding of the circuit through contact 7 will deenergize the magnet C whenever the gate is moved in either direction from its normal position. The magnet C will also be deeuergized when the circuit is broken at the contact What 1 claim is:

1. An attachment for valves comprisin a casing, a removable head therefor, and three contacts carried by said head normally protected by said casing, two of the contacts adapted to be connected in a local circuit and the other contact adapted to be grounded.

2. An alarn'. attachment for valves comprising a casing having an outlet for the circuit wires, a movable plug projecting into said casing, two line contacts and a ground contact located within said casing controlled by the movement of said plug for affecting the local circuit An alarm attachment for a gate valve comprising a detachable casing, a. screwthreaded collar, a plug carried thereby and extending into said casing, and contact members within said casing controlled by the movement of said plug.

a. An alarm attachment for a gate valve comprising a movable plug two normally closed contact. members, one of said members being movable and the other member being grounded and adapted to be engaged by said movable member, said movable member being controlled by the movement of said plug.

5. An alarm starting attachment for a gate valve comprising a sprin arm normally connected in one line of t ie'local circuit, a grounded terminal having two branches between which the end of the l spring arm ormally stands, and a plug holding the spring arm in its normal position, and adapted to 0 erate substantially as described, for connecting the spring arm to the ground upon movement of the plug in either direction.

6. In an attachment for a valve, the combination of a normally energized magnet, a source of current, a circuit connecting one terminal of said magnet to one terminal of said source, the other terminals of said magnet and source bein grounded, two separable contacts in sai circuit normally com pleting the same and located between said source and said magnet, and means actuated by said valve for separating said contacts and grounding said circuit between said magnet and said source of current.

7. In an attachment for a valve, the combination of a normally energized magnet, a source of current, a circuit connecting one terminal of said magnet to one terminal of said source, the other terminals of said magnet and source bein grounded, two separable contacts in suit? ClI'Cllll'i normally completing the same and located between said source and said magnet, and ,means moving and grounding said circuit between said magnet and said source of currentupon a movement of said valve in either direction.

8. The combination of a grounded at both ends, a source of current and a normally energized magnet in series with said conductor and with one another, a plurality of valves, a plurality of sets of separable contacts located between said source and said magnet and in series therewith and with one another, each set being controlled by one of said valves, means actuated by said valves respectively for separatin said contacts and grounding said circuit etween said source and said magnet 1 when any of said valves is moved from nor mal position.

RICHARD F. SPAMER.

\Vitnesses:

LOUIS P. MCKINLEY, Jenn C. CANNON.

with said valve for separating said contacts.

conductor 

